5 Secrets to a Healthy Nutritious Lifestyle

When most people decide to lose a few pounds or lose some stubborn belly fat, they immediately think about dieting. Most people believe this is the only way to manage weight problems. I don't like to use phrases that occur in my diet because they have two connotations. The first is that you will limit what you eat, hunger and not fully enjoy your food. The second is that it will end when you reach your goal. Once you get off the diet and go back to eating it is usually very possible to gain weight within a few weeks.

Instead, I prefer to talk about healthy eating habits and change your lifestyle and the food you eat throughout your life. You don't have to stop eating all the food you like. Instead, adopting a healthy eating approach and rewarding yourself now and again with your favorite (but maybe not so healthy) foods will keep you focused and content in your new lifestyle.

Here are my 5 secrets to a healthy lifestyle:

Secret 1:

Try to eat about 15-20% below your calorie maintenance level. This is the amount of calories your body needs every day. For women this is about 2000 calories per day, though, this will vary depending on the age and level of daily activity. Reducing your calories by 15-20% is only about 300-400 calories a day. When you consider that the Cadbury dairy bar (49g) contains 257 calories which reduces your intake by 300-400 calories a day will not be so difficult.

Secret 2:

Exit your calories throughout the day by eating 5 or 6 small meals instead of the traditional 2-3. This will keep your blood glucose and insulin levels low and your hunger control. Beware of portion size, if you eat too much (even healthy foods), you will increase your belly fat instead of reducing it!

Secret 3:

With each meal make sure you eat a source of lean protein. Protein is important when you are trying to burn belly fat because it is important for toning and building muscle. Opinions vary in how much you need to eat but the average amount is 0.8g to 1.0g per Kg of weight. For example: A woman who weighs 9 kg or 57 Kg should consume 46g to 57g of protein spread throughout the day.

Secret 4:

Try eating natural, complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, oats, nuts, brown rice, anything wheat and wheat. With vegetables you can eat as much as you want, no one gets fat from eating vegetables. It is butter that they sometimes clog in it making them fat. Boiling or steaming is best because it reduces the amount of extra fat and helps maintain nutrients.

Complex carbohydrates are digested at a slower rate than simple carbohydrates (White rice / pasta / flour and cakes) and stop glucose spikes in the blood. By maintaining a stable level of insulin, low blood glucose levels reduce the amount of fat stored, especially around the stomach.

Secret 5:

Avoid all refined or simple carbs (White rice / pasta / flour and cakes). It is easily digested and causes a spike in your blood glucose levels. Subsequently insulin removes excess glucose and stores it as fat. By reducing this simple carbohydrate intake, you will block the spikes in your blood glucose levels and less fat will be deposited around your body.

Follow these simple secrets and you will lose weight, burn more fat and learn how easy it is to manage your weight. No more family gatherings on Christmas or birthdays will fill you with fear as you will have a greater understanding of what your body needs and more importantly.

------------------